Shocking Unsolved Vegas Crimes

August 19, 2017

Considered to be one of the greatest cities in the world, and by an exceptionally large number of people, Las Vegas has been known to be a vibrant and remarkably thrilling hub for the seemingly undying gambling industry, with tourists from all over the world attracted to the sights, sounds and experiences that the city promises.

Unfortunately, there is a certain darkness that appears to come with Las Vegas – a place that simply oozes brightness and colour. Underneath the famous strip lies what could only be considered a sin city of tales, from mysterious disappearances to sinister murders.

Tupac’s Murder

This could very well be the most high-profile murder that has gone unsolved in the history of Las Vegas. The murder of Tupac Shakur occurred six days after the 7th of September in 1996 when the celebrated rapper was unexpectedly shot down while at an intersection, having just left the infamous fight that saw Mike Tyson and Bruce Seldon go toe to toe.

There are a lot of questions that surround that fateful night and the circumstances remain a mystery to this day. There are some that have rapped about the occurrence and others that have called out others for their alleged involvement in his death.

Murder of Marvin Shumate

This murder was one that would become known as one of the most brutal acts of revenge in the entire history of US crime and, in spite of the fact that the guilty party appears to be obvious, no arrest has been made in connection with the murder of Marvin Shumate.

The story begins with a taxi driver, Marvin, coming up with a plan to kidnap and in time murder a friend of his son’s, who happened to be the son of the well-known casino owner, Benny Binion. When Shumate attempted to get another taxi driver involved in his plan, it all fell apart and in the end Schumate had to pay the ultimate price.

Shumate’s body was discovered in the Nevada desert on a mountainside in 1967, with a shotgun wound to the chest as well as a bullet wound to the head. While it is all speculation, many believe the other taxi driver ratted to Binion and he then took care of removing Shumate from the picture.

The Coulthard Bombing

Another unsolved crime that made waves in the history of crime in Las Vegas, strangely enough, also involved Benny Binion, along with a great deal of stubbornness and resentment. Binion started a feud with Bill Coulthard, who owned a stake in the land that the Horseshoe Casino was positioned on, which he held the lease for.

Things got fatally worse when Coulthard wouldn’t renew the lease and Binion appeared as though he was destined to lose the casino that he had ultimately spent most of his life building. On the 25th of July in 1972, Coulthard got into his car, turned the engine and ignited a car bomb so powerful that he was instantly killed. To this day, no one has been arrested for his murder.

Disappearance of Star Palombo

While there may not technically be a crime, with no body found typically meaning no crime was committed, there are many that would argue this. An individual, who at the time gave her name as Star Palumbo, in her 20s was picked up by local police after being found at Reno-Tahoe International, wandering the grounds aimlessly.

The very next day, an illegal car registered to Palumbo came up as abandoned at the airport, with a number of her personal items found in the car. However, the most haunting of them were books and emails explaining how to change your identity and that the government was out to kill her. Her body has never been found.